Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan is being criminally prosecuted and is a political prisoner. This is what Vahe Yeprikyan, one of the supporters of Robert Kocharyan, told journalists during a protest held near the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction in the Kentron and Nork Marash Districts today.
“As we have all been witnessing over the past year, second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan is being criminally prosecuted and is a political prisoner. Many lawyers, human rights activists and international organizations have stated this and urged to stop the unlawful acts against the second President, but the courts have shut an eye on all this, considering our lawful demand simply an opinion. The Constitutional Court reaffirmed our opinion and claims with its decision on September 3, reaffirming once again that criminal prosecution against Kocharyan is inadmissible. President Kocharyan is not subject to criminal prosecution. Trials have been held for over a year, but nobody has stated any fact, and there is still no fact or argument certifying a circumstance that will confirm Robert Kocharyan guilt in the case of the events of March 1, 2008,” Vahe Yerpikyan said, adding that Judge Anna Danibekyan knows what it means to release immediately, but is not taking any action to convene a court session.
On September 4, the Constitutional Court of Armenia partially granted the application of second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, recognizing part 2 of Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia as contradicting the Constitution and invalid. Thus, the Court recorded that there is no regulation related to immunity among the circumstances excluding criminal prosecution referred to in part 2 of Article 35, which is unconstitutional.
The trial over the case of second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan (charged with overthrow of constitutional order) and other ex-officials in the case of the events of March 1, 2008 is set to take place on September 12. The case has been inscribed to Judge Anna Danibekyan of the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction.
